Sir Alex Ferguson's apparent determination to reignite his feud with Arsène Wenger now that Jose Mourinho is no longer around has led to the Manchester United manager questioning Arsenal's right to field a team exclusively made up of foreign players. Ferguson believes there should be a cap on the number of overseas footballers in English football - a move that Wenger recently claimed would "kill the Premier League".

Aware of Wenger's opposition, Ferguson pointedly remarked that Arsenal would inevitably "protest the loudest" about his suggestion. Yet Ferguson has rarely missed an opportunity to get under Wenger's skin, and he insisted it would be "for the good of the game in England" if new restrictions were introduced.

Ferguson, already under investigation from the Football Association's disciplinary department after claiming that the referee Howard Webb "favoured Arsenal" during Saturday's 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium, also predicted a hostile response from Liverpool, while other clubs such as Manchester City would almost certainly be opposed to his idea.

However, the United manager seemed to have Arsenal in mind as he backed the Fifa president, Sepp Blatter, for speaking out about the lack of chances for home-grown players. "It's certainly not wrong that clubs should be seen to have a proportion of home-based players," said Ferguson, who is proud that his team is based equally on British and foreign players. "I totally agree [with Blatter] but it would be a problem for a club like Arsenal. That's why they'll protest the loudest.

"You want to protect your own, and there is nothing wrong with that. But, for the good of the game in England, it would be good to see more home-based players at the top clubs. United's critics would say, 'It's all right for you, you already have English players in your side.' But I think if you asked a neutral, they would rather see more home-based players."

Wenger's view could hardly be more opposed, unsurprisingly given that his first-choice team does not include a single Englishman. Theo Walcott is a regular on the bench but Wenger's policy is nearly always to buy from abroad, predominantly France, and it led to the former Arsenal player Jermaine Pennant suggesting recently that the Arsenal manager had an aversion to English footballers.

"Under the present Treaty of Rome you couldn't make it a law [to demand a quota of English players]," Ferguson continued, in an interview with the club magazine. "It would have to be an agreement between the clubs. But if it went to a vote, I think it would get through [even though] there would be opposition from clubs like Liverpool and Arsenal, who have strong Spanish and French connections. It would certainly be a contentious issue but I agree with the principle of it."

Ferguson's remarks will almost certainly provoke a response from Wenger but that, indeed, might be the intention now he is convinced that Arsenal have replaced Chelsea and Liverpool as United's most credible challengers this season.

His comments about Webb are being studied by the FA, who are likely to write to Ferguson to ask for an explanation. If the FA decides it merits a disciplinary charge, he could be fined if found guilty.

Ferguson has been in a spiky mood of late and, as well as calling ticket prices at Arsenal "obscene", he complained angrily after Saturday's match about the stewarding near his dug-out. His handshake with Wenger was the briefest of touches, with no eye contact, and their relationship will not be helped by his latest remarks.